Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. They belong to the great and powerful Saban/Disney.

Author's notes: Thanks as always to my darling Ivydraken, who is my inspiration! Thanks also to Ty for reading this over and over until I got it right! Please review!

Time: Two months after the Turbo movie, before "Passing the Torch." Rocky's dream is a memory of the day they became Rangers.

Friends of the Past
by: Hazydestiny

"Would you please not sit that close to the edge?" Rocky requested as he joined his friend, gesturing to the drop at the end of the bluff.

"Sorry," Adam replied softly, scooting back a few feet.

Rocky sat down next to him. "You took off pretty quickly after the party. What's up?"

Adam shrugged. "Don't like parties." He traced a circle on the sandy ground with his finger.

Rocky sighed. He hated when Adam got like this. Trying to get information out of him was like trying to pull a tooth out of the mouth of an angry bear. "Come on Adam, I know you. What's wrong?"

Adam studied the ground, drawing a more intricate design. "Nothing."

"Bullshit. Something's bothering you, and I'm not cooking another meal until you tell me what it is. And you'll have to deal with Aisha's mystery casseroles."

That brought a small smile to Adam's face. "You mean when she throws all the food she can find together and cooks it?"

"Scorches it is more like it," Rocky said with a grin. He nudged Adam. "So you better speak up."

The smile disappeared from his best friend's face, and Adam looked seriously at him. "I don't think I can do this."

"Don't you think it's a little late to change your mind now?"

Adam stared at Rocky, his dark eyes troubled. "I'm not a superhero, Rocky. What makes me good enough to be a Power Ranger?"

"You know, someday you're going to realize what an amazing person you are," Rocky said with a sigh. "Adam, you're going to be an incredible Ranger. You're incredibly skilled in martial arts, you're quick thinking and adaptable in a fight, and you honestly care about people. What part of that doesn't make you a good candidate to be a Ranger?"

Adam shrugged again. "I just feel like you guys would be better off with someone else."

"Hey." Rocky put his hand on Adam's shoulder. "We're a team. If you don't do this, 'Sha and I don't either." He assumed a very serious expression. "And I know you wouldn't want to deprive me of this experience, because my ass just looks so damn good in spandex."

Adam burst out laughing. "You have a point there. I would never want to keep that from the world."

Rocky grinned. "So are you in?" He held out his hand.

Adam clasped it with a smile. "I'm in. As long as you're there."

"Of course. We're a team!"

"Right. You and me, forever." Adam pulled him into a hug.

Rocky hugged him back. "Forever."

**********

The phrase echoed in his mind as the dream faded into reality. Slowly Rocky became aware of the fact that someone was holding him. He smiled at the wave of comfort that swept through him. He was usually the one doing the holding; it felt nice to have the favor returned. Instinctively he moved closer to the warm body next to him. He heard a light laugh as the arm around him gave a light squeeze. "Good morning."

He opened his eyes and looked into the deep brown ones of his best friend. He was about to return the greeting when reality sunk it. How long had it been since he and Adam had spent the night together? A damn long while. He sat up, staring at his bedmate in confusion. His mind ran through the reasons as to why he would find the younger man in bed with him, but he couldn't find one that made sense. "Adam? Is something wrong?"

Adam gazed at him with piercing eyes. "I was going to ask you that."

Rocky tensed and averted his eyes to avoid his friend's stare. I hate it when he looks at me like that. I can never hide anything from him. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, turning his back to Adam. "Why would you think something was wrong?"

Adam sat up, stretching. "Don't give me that, Rocky. You've been moping around for two months, and I've tried to stay out of your way and leave you alone. But it's getting old."

"Sorry to be such an annoyance," Rocky muttered.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it. Don't put words in my mouth." Adam sighed. "Come on, I know that there's something wrong. I want to help, but I can't until you tell me what's going through your mind."

"There's nothing to help with. I'm fine."

"Bullshit." Rocky could feel Adam's gaze lancing through him. "Talk."

The Hispanic boy stood up and crossed the room to his dresser. "If I do have a problem, I'll deal with it. It's not your concern." He opened a drawer, looking over the assorted shirts inside.

"Not my concern? You're my best friend! Of course it's my..."

Rocky cut him off. "Leave it alone, Adam." There was a dangerous tone in his voice, one that usually worked to repel his friend's curiosities. "I said I'm fine." Grabbing a shirt and his jeans he walked into the bathroom.

To his annoyance, Adam didn't take the hint. The younger man followed him, leaning against the bathroom door. "Talk to me, Rock. We've always been able to talk about everything."

Rocky spit out a mouthful of toothpaste. "We've. Contraction for we have. Isn't that past tense? How about we apply that to our friendship."

The green turbo ranger winced. "That was harsh." He paused for a moment, and then decided to try a different angle. "I've been trying to give you space because you've obviously been having a tough time. I know that losing the power isn't easy…"

Rocky turned on him with a vehemence that made Adam physically retreat from the bathroom. "Really? You know what I've been going through? Isn't that nice." His voice was laced with sarcasm. "How about you tell me about the time that you lost your powers?"

"That's not the point..."

"That's exactly the point. You have no idea how it feels. You have no idea how hard it is." He pulled on his shirt and headed into the kitchen. "You have no idea at all."

Adam followed him. "I'm not the only one who's worried about you! Tommy's lost his powers before. So has Jason. You could talk to one of them!"

Rocky grabbed the orange juice from the refrigerator and slammed the door. "Yeah, they seem to be really worried about me. They've just been banging down the door to help me, haven't they?" He sat down at the table, opening the newspaper to the Real Estate section he had been perusing the day before.

"How are they supposed to when you're never around? You've been totally avoiding..." Adam's eyes feel on the page that Rocky was browsing. "Apartments? What are you looking at that for?"

"I'm looking for my own place. So I can take my moping someplace where it won't bother you so much." He scoffed at Adam's shocked gaze. "Don't worry about the rent. I'm sure Tommy would be more than happy to move in with you. He spends more time here than he does at his own house."

Adam sputtered for a few moments, looking at his roommate in total bewilderment. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Rocky glared at him with more anger than he could ever remember having at Adam. "You're right, I do have a problem. I've been having it for two months now. But my supposed 'best friends' don't give a damn!"

"That's not fair! We tried to be supportive of you, to help you out. But you completely shut us out! How are we supposed to help you when you won't even talk to us?"

"How am I supposed to talk to you about my life when the only thing I ever hear about are your amazing new powers, or your incredible weapons, or your kick-ass zords?! I'd probably have to get kidnapped by Divatox to even get your attention!!"

"Well why the hell couldn't you just tell me that? You've been ignoring me for two months, Rocky. I can't read your mind; you have to let me in on what you're thinking!"

"Maybe that's the problem! You used to have no problem knowing what I was thinking - most of the time you knew what was wrong before I did. Just admit it, Adam; I have no place in your life anymore!!"

"That's not true!" Adam looked at him desperately. "You're still my best friend!"

"No, I'm not. The blue ranger was your best friend. Not me."

"Rocky, you're more than just a power ranger!" There were tears in Adam's eyes. "I love you!"

No!! I will not let him make me feel guilty! This is not my fault! Rocky stood up quickly, and winced at the pain that shot through his back. Adam moved to help him, but Rocky pushed him away. "NO! Just leave me alone!" He turned quickly to hide the tears that were mounting in his own eyes. "It's too late. We stopped being friends a long time ago and became teammates. I'm not part of the team any more. Just leave me alone!" Get out of here! Get out of here before he has a chance to change your mind. He ran out of the apartment and slammed the door before Adam could say another word.

Adam stood there in shock, staring after the man that he thought was his best friend. "What the hell just happened here?"

Rocky's stamina held out for six blocks before the pain in his back grew too sharp to bear. He slowed his jarring run, catching his breath. By now he was fairly sure that Adam wasn't going to come after him. What the hell happened back there?

As he walked to haze of anger cleared from his mind. God, you're an idiot! He was trying to help you! Why did you push him away? In the back of his mind he knew the answer. He had no desire to get off the self-destructive path his life had become. In his heart, he'd already given up. I gave up that day in the hospital room. Memories of that day filled his mind…

**********

As Rocky stared at the stunned boy, one phrase ran through his mind. Oh shit.

"You guys are the Power Rangers?" the boy repeated. "Oh man, this is so cool! How did you get to be a Power Ranger? Was it aliens?"

"Justin..." Rocky attempted, but the boy didn't acknowledge him.

"How long have you been doing this? Do you have a secret hideout? I knew you guys had a secret. What do you..."

"JUSTIN!" Rocky's tone was sharp, cutting through Justin's excitement. "Just be quiet for a minute, I need to think." He tried to filter the situation through the haze of drugs and pain that clouded his brain. Zordon. I need to call Zordon.

He looked at the boy standing next to his bed, nearly bursting with excitement. "Justin, I want you to listen to me, and do exactly what I say. Can you do that?"

Justin nodded emphatically, his eyes glowing. Lord, I could tell him to go and jump off a bridge and he'd do it. Rocky sighed. "On the back of the door is my jacket. In the pocket of my jacket is my wallet. I want you to take it, go down to the cafeteria and buy yourself lunch. Now here's the tricky part. Are you listening?" Justin nodded again. Rocky spoke the next part very slowly and clearly. "DON'T TALK TO ANYONE! Unless it's to the servers in the cafeteria to get food, I don't want you to say a word to anyone. Got it?"

"Go get lunch and don't talk to anyone," the boy replied.

"Good. Now go. I don't want to see you back here for at least an hour."

Walking, or rather bouncing, to the door, Justin retrieved the wallet and walked out.

Wincing a bit with the effort, Rocky activated his communicator. "Zordon, I have a problem."

An hour later Justin poked his head in the door. "Can I come back now?"

"Come on in," Rocky said.

Justin walked into the hospital room, doing his best to hide his great excitement. "Are you going to tell me about the Power Rangers now?"

"Yes." Rocky pointed to the plastic chair that sat in the corner of the room. "Why don't you pull that chair over here and sit down."

Justin did as he was told, then looked expectantly at Rocky. The Blue Zeo Ranger took a deep breath. "Tommy, Adam, Tanya, Kat and I are the Power Rangers."

"This is so cool," Justin exclaimed.

"Justin, this is very privileged information. If people learned our identities it would put both them and us in danger. This has to remain a secret. Do you understand?"

Justin nodded. "I won't tell anyone, I promise."

He really is a good kid. Rocky smiled at the younger boy. I trust that he'll keep our secret safe. "Why don't you hang out here for a while? We can watch some TV.

Justin's eyes lit up, and he nodded. "That would be cool."

**********
Rocky awoke to the familiar tone of his communicator. "What is it, Zordon," he asked groggily. Vaguely he registered Justin looking up from his book, curiosity painting his face.

"ROCKY, WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED A NEW ENEMY THAT PUTS THE EARTH IN GRAVE DANGER. I FEAR THAT THE RANGERS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THEIR MISSION IF THEY ARE ONE RANGER SHORT."

"Just tell me what you want me to do, Zordon. I'll do anything in my power to help them."

"THAT IS GOOD TO HEAR, BECAUSE I AM ABOUT TO ASK YOU TO DO THE MOST DIFFICULT TASK IN A RANGER'S CAREER. I AM GOING TO ASK YOU TO PASS THE POWER TO A NEW BEARER."

Rocky felt a knot form in his stomach. Give up the power? That had only ever been an option in his nightmares. But if it's what I have to do to help my friends... He took a deep breath, centering himself. "What do I have to do?"

"IS JUSTIN STILL THERE WITH YOU?"

Rocky looked over at the boy in surprise. "Yes."

"WOULD HE BE WILLING TO ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF BEING A POWER RANGER?"

Rocky's eyes widened. "What?!!"

Justin leapt off the chair. "Would I!!"

"Zordon, he's just a kid!"

"AS ARE THE REST OF YOU. I TRUST HE WILL HANDLE THE POWER IN THE SAME MATURE AND RESPONSIBLE WAY ALL OF MY RANGERS HAVE."

Speaking of other Rangers...I just can't see Tommy and Adam being okay with this replacement. "Do the others know about this?"

"I HAVE NOT YET INFORMED THEM OF MY CHOICE, BUT I TRUST THAT THEY WILL SEE THE SAME PROMISE IN JUSTIN THAT I DO."

I'm not so sure about that. Tanya and Kat already have to watch Justin in their off time, I don't think they want to have to do it in the middle of a fight. He sighed. But I don't think they're going to get much of a choice. Rocky looked over at the youth, whose face was glowing with excitement. Damn it Zordon, did you have to bring this up while he was standing right here?

"I can do it Rocky, I know that I can!!"

"Being a Power Ranger isn't easy, Justin. It's something that you have to devote your whole life to. You have to be ready for a fight 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You have to accept that you can't save everyone. And most importantly, it means that your life has to become a secret to anyone around you other than the other Rangers."

"I'll be a great Power Ranger. I won't let you down, I promise!"

Rocky sighed. "If that's what you think is best Zordon, that's what I'll do. You're better qualified to choose a new Ranger than I am."

"I AM PROUD OF YOUR HANDLING OF THIS SITUATION, ROCKY. YOU HAVE ONCE AGAIN DEMONSTRATED A MATURITY FAR BEYOND YOUR YEARS. IS JUSTIN PREPARED FOR TELEPORTATION?"

Rocky looked intently at Justin. "Are you sure that you want to do this? This is a life-changing decision."

The boy nodded enthusiastically. "You won't be disappointed."

The Blue Zeo Ranger nodded. "He's ready." Justin grinned, giving him a thumbs-up as he disappeared in a shower of white sparks. Rocky stared at the empty space left behind. "Zordon, I really hope you know what you're doing."

**********

Rocky found he had unconsciously steered himself to the bluffs, his favorite thinking place. It's not like Justin has brought about the doom of the Power Rangers. He's actually handled himself fairly well, especially for a kid. Maybe that's part of the problem. Not that he'd wished doom for the boy, but it was disconcerting to see Justin filling his shoes. Worse, filling them more than adequately.

He crouched down, staring out at the endless blue expanse.Adam's right. I have pushed everyone away. I closed myself off from all of my friends. And now I'm left here, alone. He closed his eyes to the tears that threatened to spill over. It was bad enough that he'd lost his family once, here he had gone and pushed away the new family he had found. I'm such an idiot. Picking up a pebble, he stood and threw it as hard as he could into the ocean. He felt pain lance through his back, and gritted his teeth in frustration. "Damn it!!" he yelled.

"Rocky?" He jumped at the familiar accented voice, turning to see a pink clad woman behind him.

"Kat." He turned back towards the ocean. "What are you doing here?"

"Just taking a walk. I needed some fresh air." She walked over to stand beside him. "I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?"

"Just peachy," he replied sarcastically.

She didn't comment on the tone. "I was hoping to see you at my recital yesterday."

"Maybe if you'd looked you would have." Out of the corner of his eye he saw the hurt that flashed across her face, and instantly regretted his cynicism. Turning to her, he sighed. "I'm sorry. It's been a really bad week."

"Anything I can help with?" she asked, instant forgiveness in her eyes.

He sighed. "I don't know that anyone can help me. I think I'm beyond help."

She laughed softly, and he felt the familiar flutter in his stomach, the one he always felt around her. "No one's beyond help, Rocky. All you have to do is ask for it."

He smiled slightly. "Thanks. I guess I do need someone to talk to."

"Good," she replied. "That's what friends are for."

"Well, I like to think of myself as a friend. A friend that's been a bit of an asshole the past few months..."

She took his hand and squeezed it. "Nonsense. Everyone needs time away to sort things out." She sighed. "I certainly do."

"Would you rather be alone? I can leave." He tried to withdraw his hand, but she held it tightly.

"No. It's not you I need time away from." She stared out at the deep blue water. "It's Tommy."

*********

To be continued...